The Food Trip

My food trip began when I was old enough to eat solids. And those early food tests were an adventure. I quickly discovered that most things green which my mother tried to force down me were like poison to my body. Gerber's was not a staple in our cupboards then. The fare was usually right from our dirt farm. The family had to grow most of what we ate. Veggies were carefully prepared from our harvest, chicken, eggs and milk were from our small gathering of stock and fruit trees and berries were crops we grew. Grandmother and her daughters canned a great deal of the produce and fruit for consumption out of season. My problem was allergies. Now nobody had 'allergies' in those times. If you didn't eat everything put before you, then you were a "picky" eater. I am not sure if the medical profession recognized an allergy. But I would not have been examined by a doctor for that in the first place. Medicinal treatment was also home grown when needed. So my trials through life at the dinner table were difficult and annoying. I've had aunties who said "You will sit there until you clean your plate, young man!" After an hour or so a sympathetic uncle would usually save me. Eventually my mother gave up and decided to let me eat what I wished; and, of course, that was to choose the things that did not make me deathly ill. No one seemed to understand this approach. It reminds of the people who try to get you to try something new by saying "It tastes just like chicken." Which invites the reply of "Then why don't you just serve chicken?" The funny thing is that I was never reluctant to try new food or its preparations. After all I did want to be able to eat a variety of things. And here is what I found out. My body will not tolerate green vegetables. I don't know what component within these things triggers the quick nauseating response that ensues. I cannot tolerate any cabbage unless cooked and then only a little; spinach is a big no-no; avacado (guacamole) will make me ill, as well as asparagus, celery, broccoli; brussel sprouts, radishes (tho' not green), green onions and parsley. Among the "green" things I can barely tolerate are peas, green beans and lettuce. To add to the problems I encounter in my food search trip is the fact that I also am allergic to fish, fresh water or sea and, in fact, most seafood. No oysters, shell fish, shrimp, lobster or crab. As a child I could endure a few shrimp and a few samples of crab or lobster but not much. I can, for some unknown reason, enjoy the mild northern cod fish that is served in fast food places, halibut and abalone. These do not seem to have the 'sea' taste and are very mild.

So, what do I eat - - - well, I am a meat and potatoes kind of guy. But, as I searched for and tasted foods from around the world I found a wealth of variety and delicious items I enjoy. My wife, Virginia, raised in Cincinnati, Ohio where they have never seen a food like an artichoke (I can eat these!) and barely knew how to boil water when we were married eventually became a gourmet cook and chef. Together we went on a food trip that sampled the native fare of most every ethnic group. You can do this in your own neighborhood by checking out local eateries. And together we founded the Afro, American, Irish, Mexican Meeting & Eating Society, which eventually garnered so many members that it collapsed from sheer popularity. We would meet every other month at a volunteer host's place, bringing our own food preparations and beverage, a real pot-luck affair. The last one's that Virginia and I hosted we had to hire a hall to accomodate everyone as over a hundred members would arrive. We learned a lot about food from these good friends.

My wife and I also on a whim decided to eat our way through the restaurant listings in the phone book! This was really an adventure and gave us a lot of fun. Starting with the "A" listings we sampled fare at a nearby Asia Cafe, the counter at the Alhambra bowling alley, a five-star restaurant called Aldo's, a Japanese tepan place called Aido's, I believe and some rather discouraging places along the way. At home we continued to invite guests to dine and featured choice items that Virginia prepared from scratch to compliment our friends ethnic origins. One such luncheon we served a deep fried pastry that was popular in Cambodia to some refugee acquaintances from that country. We prepared char shi bow for Chinese friends and dim sum for our Japanese ones. She could even build from scratch the fabulous Greek dessert Baclava using the very thin filo pastry sheets, nuts and honey. We were also interested in wine which many people routinely serve with their meals. This interest led us to tastings throughout the California wine country in the Napa Valley and the purchase of great French and Italian wines found in the cellars of San Francisco and Sacramento. Soon we were growing the select wine grapes and making our own wine which featured our personal label "Chateau D'El Monte. Thus, my travel along the food trip has permitted me to sample more choices than the average person will ever encounter in a life time. I have no trouble in sitting down to a meal any where or any place. If I have any fair sampling offered I am certain I will not go away hungry. But, don't be offended if I push aside most 'green' things - - - I am

Just sayin'